Pdp having additional thin layers in the electrode pad

ABSTRACT

A plasma display panel is disclosed. The plasma display panel having an additional thin layer between each electrode and a glass substrate in an electrode pad region minimizes migration of the electrode which results from a potential difference between the electrodes while the PDP is driven.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to a plasma display panel, andmore specifically, to an AC plasma display panel where an electrode ofan electrode pad is not directly formed on a glass substrate but anadditional thin layer is formed between the glass substrate and theelectrode of the electrode pad, thereby minimizing migration ofelectrodes.

BACKGROUND ART

A plasma display panel (hereinafter, referred to as “PDP”) has a panelformed by sealing two substrates spaced from each other at apredetermined distance. The space between two substrates is filled withdischarge gas. A group of electrodes, which are formed on each substratehas its end portion extended to an external end portion of the substratefor connection with external driving circuits. This connection region ofthe electrode group is entitled as an electrode pad.

Generally, an electrode of the electrode pad which is formed of metalhaving low resistance such as silver (Ag) is directly formed on a glasssubstrate in a prior art. In driving this PDP, a potential difference isgenerated between the electrodes, this potential difference leading ionsof each electrode to being combined with a metal electrode of the glasssubstrate. Therefore, the adjacent electrodes are shorted, which iscalled migration.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating migration generated from electrode padsof a conventional plasma display panel.

When an electric field is applied to metal, the metal in an anode isdissolved and moves through non-metal material to a cathode due toeffect of the electric field. This phenomenon may cause short betweenthe metal electrodes.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the actual shape of the migrationgenerated between electrodes.

When electrodes X and Y are fetched to the same electrode pad in orderto embody a large multi-screen having four plasma display panelsconnected seamlessly, the interval between the electrodes becomesnarrower so that the short between the electrodes which results from themigration becomes a serious problem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating migration generated from an electrodepad of a conventional plasma display panel.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the actual shape of the migrationgenerated between electrodes.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an electrode pad of a plasma displaypanel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an electrode pad of a plasma displaypanel according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an electrode pad of a plasma displaypanel according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an electrode pad of a plasma displaypanel according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an electrode pad of a plasma displaypanel according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an electrode pad of a plasma displaypanel according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the cross section cutin a direction A-A′ of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an electrode pad of a plasma displaypanel according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Technical Subject

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to minimizemigration by forming an additional thin layer between a glass substrateand each electrode of an electrode pad.

Technical Solution

There is provided a plasma display panel including a front substrate anda rear substrate, which each has side portion extended in a differentdirection. This side portion becomes an electrode pad region whereelectrodes of the substrate are fetched to be coupled with an externaldriving circuit. The plasma display panel comprises at least one or moreadditional thin layers formed between the electrode and the substratefor preventing the electrode of the electrode pad region from beingdirectly contacted with the substrate.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

FIGS. 3 to 5 are diagrams illustrating an electrode pad of a plasmadisplay panel according to first to third preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

In an embodiment, a thin layer 20 (hereinafter, referred to as“additional thin layer”) is additionally formed between a glasssubstrate 10 and electrodes X (X₁, X₂, . . . ) and Y (Y₁, Y₂, . . . )fetched in the electrode pad region, so that metal ions (i.e. Ag) ofeach electrode X and Y may not be flow into the glass substrate 10.

First to third embodiments disclosed in FIGS. 3 to 5 presumes that theelectrode X (X₁, X₂, . . . ) is fetched in an opposite direction to thatof the electrode Y (Y₁, Y₂, . . . ). And, each of FIGS. 3 to 5illustrates example in which the length of the additional thin layer isdifferent from each other.

The width of the additional thin layer 20 is larger than or the same asthat of the electrode X or Y of the electrode pad, and is formed withthe same shape that of the electrode X or Y fetched to the electrode padso that the electrodes X and Y may not be directly contacted with theglass substrate 10. The additional thin layer in the embodiments isformed with a belt type having a predetermined length toward theinternal direction of the panel. Each of the additional thin layers 20is separated from other adjacent additional thin layers 20 not to beconnected with each other.

The additional thin layer 20 may be formed of the same material as atransparent substrate ITO (not shown) formed in a display region (notshown) of the plasma display panel. The material used in the transparentsubstrate ITO is used as the additional thin layer 20 so that anadditional process or material for formation of the additional thinlayer 20 is not required. That is, when the transparent substrate ITO(not shown) is formed in the display region (not shown), the additionalthin layer 20 is patterned with the transparent substrate ITO. Unlikethe embodiments disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ITO film in the displayregion is connected with the additional thin layer 20 in the embodimentof FIG. 5.

Since the ITO is formed with a pure crystalline type on the substrate,and has low moisture and reactivity, the migration phenomenon can beremarkably prevented.

FIGS. 6 to 8 are diagrams illustrating an electrode pad of a plasmadisplay panel according to fourth to sixth preferred embodiments of thepresent invention.

In the preferred embodiments of FIGS. 6 to 8, electrodes X and Y arefetched to one direction for displaying a plurality of plasma displaypanels seamlessly with a large screen.

Here, a multi-plasma display panel is exemplified where the electrodes Xand Y are fetched only to one direction so that they may be displayed tothe edge of the opposite side to minimize the width between the displayregions.

Since the electrodes X and Y are fetched only to one direction in thispreferred embodiment, the width between the electrodes becomes narrowerthan in the first to second preferred embodiments. As a result, thestructure of the electrode becomes weak to the migration. Therefore, theadditional thin layer 20 is more required in the electrode structure ofthe preferred embodiment.

The explanation on formation of the additional thin layer 20 of thepreferred embodiment is omitted because it is the same as that of thefirst to third preferred embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the cross section cutin a direction A-A′ of FIG. 6. The additional thin layer 20 having apredetermined length is formed on the glass substrate 10 of theelectrode pad, and then the electrode Y₂ is formed thereon. Here, sincethe additional thin layer ITO 20 may be formed of a thin film, limit bythe height of the additional thin layer 20 is not generated when otherstructures are formed.

Additionally, suppose that the additional thin layer 20 is formed of thesame material as that of the transparent substrate ITO (not shown) ofthe display region (not shown). When the transparent substrate ITO (notshown) is formed in the display region, the additional thin layer 20 isformed together so that an additional process is not required.

In the above-described embodiments, the additional thin layers 20 areformed to correspond one by one to the electrodes X and Y, respectively,so that each of the additional thin layers 20 may be separated from eachother because the additional thin layer 20 is formed of the samematerial as that of the transparent substrate ITO. Therefore, when theadditional thin layer is formed with insulating material with which athin film is fabricated, the additional thin layers are not separated tocorrespond one-by-one to the electrodes X and Y. Instead, an additionalthin layer 40 may be formed to correspond to the whole electrodes X andY as shown in FIG. 10.

In case of FIGS. 6 to 8, when the additional thin layer is formed ofinsulating material, an additional thin layer corresponding to allelectrodes X and Y can be formed.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As discussed earlier, in a plasma display panel according to anembodiment of the present invention, an electrode of an electrode pad isformed on an additional thin layer of a thin film, thereby minimizingmigration of electrodes.

1. A plasma display panel including a front substrate and a rear substrate, each having side portion extended in a different direction from the other substrate, the side portion becoming an electrode pad region where electrodes are fetched to be coupled with an external driving circuit, comprising at least one or more additional thin layers formed between the electrode and the substrate, for preventing the electrode in the electrode pad region from being directly contacted with the substrate.
 2. The plasma display panel according to claim 1, wherein the width of at least one or more additional thin layers is larger than or the same as that of the electrode.
 3. The plasma display panel according to claim 2, wherein at least one or more additional thin layers are an ITO film.
 4. The plasma display panel according to claim 3, wherein at least one or more additional thin layers which correspond one by one to the electrodes are a plurality of thin films which are not interconnected.
 5. The plasma display panel according to claim 3, wherein at least one or more additional thin layers are extended with a belt type toward an inside of the panel.
 6. The plasma display panel according to claim 3, wherein at least one or more additional thin layers have a length which is not connected to a transparent substrate of the panel.
 7. The plasma display panel according to claim 2, wherein at least one or more additional thin layers are formed of insulating materials.
 8. The plasma display panel according to claim 7, wherein at least one or more additional thin layers are interconnected.
 9. The plasma display panel according to claim 3, wherein at least one or more additional thin layers are not overlapped with sealing materials for sealing the front substrate with the rear substrate or overlapped with a portion of the sealing materials.
 10. The plasma display panel according to claim 4, wherein at least one or more additional thin layers are extended with a belt type toward an inside of the panel.
 11. The plasma display panel according to claim 4, wherein at least one or more additional thin layers have a length which is not connected to a transparent substrate of the panel.
 12. The plasma display panel according to claim 7, wherein at least one or more additional thin layers are not overlapped with sealing materials for sealing the front substrate with the rear substrate or overlapped with a portion of the sealing materials. 